


i've always wondered (well now you know)

by alateni



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: BACK AGAIN WITH THE WONHAO THAT'S WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT, BRIEFEST, Hybrid AU, I love Cats, M/M, University AU, i want a cat but i also want a dog, i'm a bean what do u expect, idk which one to get, implications of sex, soft cuddles, the briefest, uhhhhh what else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 02:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13448709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alateni/pseuds/alateni
Summary: Wonwoo loves cats, he really does. Even if they do things like stuffing themselves into boxes (if I fits, I sits) or laying on your things (this is mine now, thanks) for no reason, he's never really thought about why. Until now, that is.Alternatively, cats are always sitting on your things when you need them the most and I needed an answer to that so I made one up.





	i've always wondered (well now you know)

There aren’t many things that Wonwoo doesn’t understand.

He’s a smart fellow, always did well in school, and was never afraid to ask questions. Even better, he wasn’t afraid to be _wrong_ – unlike most of his classmates. Being wrong was an opportunity to improve, after all, how would you ever know what to fix if you never knew what was broken in the first place? So no, Jeon Wonwoo was definitely one of the sharper tools in the shed, but that didn’t mean he knew everything.

“Hao,” Wonwoo sighs, running his hands through his hair. He reaches forwards, contemplating deeply to himself for a second, before sighing and retracting his hands. He couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t. He wasn’t a savage – even though Soonyoung thought otherwise. Even with his resting emotionless face and tendency to glare at people when they cut him off in the hallway (which was a perfectly valid reason excuse you), Wonwoo wasn’t a bad person. And even then, not even bad people would do something like _this_.

“Guess I’ll just fail then,” Wonwoo muses, looking over at his laptop – only to be distracted by the absolutely _massive_ ball of fluff sitting on top of it. No, not sitting, then Wonwoo could’ve talked his way out of the situation at hand. No, Minghao was _sleeping_ on his laptop. Which he needed. To finish his essay that was due in approximately three and a half hours.

But he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t move Minghao – or wake him up God _forbid_. The cat hybrid looked too peaceful for that, too serene to be disturbed for something as fickle as an _essay_. Only a monster would even think about doing such a thing. And Wonwoo was no monster.

So, he waited.

 

 

“No, you don’t get it,” Wonwoo speaks into his phone, laying down on his bed (a very comfortable one for that matter, one that would serve as a far softer resting place than his _laptop_ ). He stares up at the ceiling, mentally counting down the seconds to his demise. Thirty minutes had passed, which meant he had more or less three hours before the clock hit midnight and his 40% paper would be awarded a grand mark of zero. He could only hope Minghao would wake up before then.

“What don’t I get Won?” Soonyoung’s voice comes through the phone, staticky, thick with sleep. The boy had just woken up from a nap (who takes a nap at 9:17 PM? Soonyoung, that’s who) – prompting Wonwoo to compare him to cat, which led them to their current conversation topic. “Just wake him up, he’ll understand. He can just go back to sleep afterwards.”

“Are you insane?” Wonwoo sits up, voice raising. He pauses, body tense as he watches one of Minghao’s ears flick at the sound, before calming down when the hybrid makes no move to wake up. An odd reaction, seeing as how it would be in Wonwoo’s best interest if Minghao woke up, yet the slender boy couldn’t bring himself to do it. He was always soft for cute, fluffy things after all.

“No, but at this rate you might very well be,” Soonyoung sighs. “Listen, just, like, accidentally fall or something. I read somewhere that if you do that dogs will run up to you and see if you’re okay – it’s really cute.”

Wonwoo rolls his eyes. “Minghao is a _cat_.”

“Oh yeah,” Soonyoung’s voice shifts, as if the other male was moving around, before it comes back louder than ever. “MAYBE IF I SPEAK REALLY LOUDLY HE’LL WAKE UP FROM HEARING ME ON THE PHONE!”

Wincing, Wonwoo throws the phone across the room. Soonyoung could be insanely noisy when he wanted to (which was, honestly, most of the time). Rubbing at his ear, Wonwoo speculates whether the male’s voice was loud enough to induce ear damage before a soft yawn captures his attention. Looking over, Wonwoo spies Minghao’s eyes open slowly – in that halting, I-have-all-the-time-in-the-world way that cats do.

Lifting his head, Minghao looks around, ears turning to capture the noise coming from Wonwoo’s phone that had fallen near the door (Soonyoung was, apparently, still screaming). Grumpily, Minghao shakes his head, paws moving restlessly as his tail swings back and forth slowly. Contemplating whether or not to jump on the phone or not, Minghao decides, instead (thankfully – Wonwoo couldn’t afford another phone) to turn and stare at Wonwoo.

_Do something_ , Minghao’s eyes seemed to say. _Turn that ruckus off_. And like the strong, independent man he was, Wonwoo obeyed.

Getting up and walking over to his phone, Wonwoo ends the call without another word. Briefly, at the back of his mind, he can hear a voice that sounds suspiciously like Soonyoung’s making a whipping noise. Like he always does however, Wonwoo ignores it.

“Morning Hao,” Wonwoo greets, eyes flickering over to the clock. 9:23. If he could appease Minghao into getting off his laptop, he’d have a good two hours and thirty-seven minutes left to finish (read: start) his essay. But who was counting? “Is there any reason that you’re in your cat form right now instead of walking around like a human and, you know, uh, not sitting on pieces of technology that are perfect for writing essays due in approximately,” Wonwoo looks at the clock again, “two hours and thirty-six minutes?”

Minghao stares. Unimpressed. Wonwoo isn’t surprised.

“Wonderful,” Wonwoo tries a different approach, “great conversation. Say, how long have you been sleeping? You probably haven’t eaten yet, have you?” Minghao’s tail twitches – a sure sign that Wonwoo’s plan is working. “And you know, nor have I. But wow, I have no idea what to do eat,” Wonwoo’s voice has increased in pitch – he’s speaking in that high-tone you use when you talk to small children or customers. He hates himself for it.

Minghao tilts his head, and Wonwoo is left wondering if he’s really falling for it or not. Honestly, Wonwoo wouldn’t put it past the hybrid to play along just to humour him – before letting out some snarky comment that dashed Wonwoo’s brittle confidence and left the tall male crying on the inside. It’s happened before.

“So,” Wonwoo drags out the word, wriggling in the spot as Minghao’s eyes follow his every movement. “Maybe you could help me figure out what to eat. You’d uh, have to be _human_ for that of course, you know, talking is a very much _human_ thing to do after all.” Minghao looks unenthusiastic. Maybe he was just humouring the elder after all.

“Please?” Wonwoo tries, eyes turning desperate as the hand on the clock hits 9:30.

Minghao sighs, even though Wonwoo is sure cats can’t do that, before standing up. Jumping off of his laptop, Minghao lands gracefully onto the floor before morphing back into his human form. Rushing forwards before Minghao could change his mind, Wonwoo scoops up his laptop and holds it to his chest, caressing the silver casing. It worked. His GPA would be safe for another night.

“Wow,” Minghao drawls, unimpressed with the blatant worship Wonwoo was giving to his laptop. “And here I thought you loved me.”

“I do!” Wonwoo puts the laptop down (though he keeps an eye on Minghao to make sure he wouldn’t be falling asleep on any pieces of technology any time soon) before moving to give Minghao a hug. The hybrid returns it, begrudgingly at first, before melting into Wonwoo’s embrace when the human pets his head.

It was a weak spot, in a way. Wonwoo knew about it ever since Minghao came under his care. Back when Minghao was hostile in every form possible and Wonwoo was seriously considering kicking Junhui’s ass – IOU or not – this was the only way they could get along. No matter how hateful or spiteful Minghao was, the cat hybrid would never say no to a couple of pats on the head. And when Wonwoo introduced him to _hair brushes_? Minghao was sold. Even now, Minghao proclaims to everyone and anyone listening that he only fell in love with Wonwoo because the human was the first one to introduce him to the wonders of hair brushes and then, hair massagers. Wonwoo only feels mildly offended.

“Now,” Wonwoo gathers the melted bundle of hybrid in his arms, “why were you sleeping on my laptop? It’s not a very comfortable location.” Minghao shrugs, half-heartedly, but the twitch of his tail tells Wonwoo that he was faking it. Instead of answering the question verbally, Minghao snuggles deeper into Wonwoo’s chest, bumping his head against Wonwoo’s hand in an attempt to keep the head scratching going. Wonwoo obliges – and the Soonyoung in his subconscious is back with that whipping noise again.

“Minghao,” Wonwoo’s voice deepens, as it always did when he got just a little more serious. Minghao’s ears flick rapidly, and even without seeing his face, Wonwoo knows the other boy is frowning. “Tell me what’s wrong, please?”

Minghao sighs. He could never refuse Wonwoo, especially not when he asked so nicely. In the streets where Minghao had grown up, any sign of weakness meant death. So for Wonwoo to ask so politely, to show that little bit of vulnerability (not that Wonwoo was ever afraid of doing things like crying in front of other people), it made Minghao’s defenses crumble to the ground. Wonwoo was, and always would be, Minghao’s aspirations.

“I,” Minghao’s voice catches. He sighs, collects himself. Breathes in and out slowly, the way Wonwoo taught him to. “Well, you’ve been busy, you know, with school,” Minghao fidgets. “And uh, I missed you, I guess,” Minghao finishes lamely. He looks down, only to remind himself that Wonwoo would never be disappointed in what he had to say. Instead, Minghao gathers the courage to glance upwards, into Wonwoo’s kind eyes.

“Oh Minghao,” Wonwoo breathes, he hugs him closer to his chest. “I’m sorry, I forgot. I haven’t had a roommate in two years.”

“It’s okay,” Minghao shrugs, trying to sweep the situation under the rug like it was no big deal. And it wasn’t, not really. Minghao was a patient person, he knew that good things came to those that waited. Above all though, Minghao was reasonable. Wonwoo had a life outside of him, and Minghao wasn’t – would _never_ – be the kind of person that ruined their lover’s lives because of their own insecurities.

“I just, it was a little period of unshakeable sadness I guess,” Minghao continues. Wonwoo always encouraged him to speak his mind, to never be ashamed of his thoughts because regardless of what they held, they were _his_ and he should own them. Time and time again, Minghao thanks whatever being was controlling his life for landing him in Wonwoo’s home. It was nothing short of a miracle, that was for sure.

“And so your solution was to sleep on my laptop?” Wonwoo asks, raising an eyebrow. Minghao laughs at that, slapping Wonwoo’s chest lightly. Wonwoo grins, moving a hand up to caress the hair at Minghao’s nape.

“It was warm,” Minghao explains. “Cats like warm things.”

“I know,” Wonwoo nods. “That’s why I had to get bigger windows – just for you to take naps in the sunlight.”

Minghao croons. “And I love you for them.”

“You better,” Wonwoo groans. “They cost a fortune.”

“Thanks,” Minghao reaches up, pressing a kiss to Wonwoo’s nose. “I, uh, also slept on there because it, smells… like you.” Minghao voice gets softer, almost silent by the end of the sentence, but Wonwoo hears him nonetheless.

“Is that why cats are always sleeping on their owner’s things? Especially things that they use a lot?” Wonwoo muses out loud. “Because it smells like them? And they miss them?”

“I guess? Maybe?” Minghao shrugs. “I can’t speak for every cat.”

“But it’s true in your case?” Wonwoo questions. Minghao shrugs. That means yes, in Minghao-language at least. “Huh, you learn something new every day. I’ve always wondered.”

“Well now you know,” Minghao rolls his eyes. Stepping back, Minghao stops Wonwoo from talking by kissing him. Wonwoo, the ever-inquisitive man, could go on for hours if he wanted to – talking about whatever theory fit his current fancy. “And now I’m hungry. Let’s order something soon – or else you’ll never be able to finish your essay.”

“Oh _shit_ ,” Wonwoo wails, almost getting whiplash with how fast he turns to check the time. 9:52. Wonwoo resists the urge to spontaneously combust.

Minghao laughs, a delicate, soft giggle of pure joy. “Chill darling,” Minghao drawls, patting Wonwoo’s head and scratching at the human’s scalp – much like Wonwoo would do to calm him down. “I’ll order fried chicken and you can get started. You got this.”

“I sure hope so,” Wonwoo sighs, picking up the laptop.

“You’re going to have to,” Minghao chides, before walking out of the room with his own phone – a gift from Wonwoo’s mom – in his hand.

Wonwoo shakes his head, trying to stop himself from thinking about the way Minghao’s long legs had looked walking (more like strutting) away from him and refocused on the task at hand. Drumming his fingers on his laptop, Wonwoo opens it and turns it on – only to be met with a flashing red battery.

“Fuck _me_ ,” Wonwoo groans, jumping up and trying to remember where he put his charger.

“Later babe,” comes Minghao’s reply from the other room, “find your charger first. It’s underneath the bed.” It’s lewd, and not original whatsoever, but Wonwoo cracks a smile before digging under his bed.

He would definitely be taking Minghao up on that promise, he just had to find his charger first.

**Author's Note:**

> I have never owned a cat (though I wish I had) so pardon the bad... characterization... of the cat. Wow. Never thought I'd write a sentence like that. Also don't quote me on anything in this fic I'm not an animal behaviourist (far from it) I just like to imagine things and then think about how I can fit my ships into them.
> 
> I also? Kind of? Experimented with a slightly different style this time? Like, it's similar to my usual one but I tried to be a little more free and less rigid. What kind of writing do you guys like? Personally, I've always loved the poetic, magical type writing that is heavy on the descriptions but I've never been able to write that way so. Well, let's just say I'm wrestling with accepting that I'll never be as descriptive or poetic as I want to be.
> 
> Additionally, I wrote this instead of one, doing my Immunology abstract (rip) and two, sleeping because I have an 8:30 lecture tomorrow. My life is founded on bad decisions though so eh, tomorrow is a new day. (I'm lying, don't be like my kids. Sleep while you still can.)
> 
> Anyways, sorry for this long note aha. Remember that you can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/alatenii) if you'd like!
> 
>   
> Hope you're smiling!  
> 
> 
>   
> ~ alateni  
> 


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